There has been much to admire about the Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar reign at Arsenal.
The performances on the field of play, of course, have been truly fantastic. The Gunners are top of the league heading into the international break and await a first Champions League quarter-final in 14 years.
It's safe to say this project is going rather well for the Spaniard and his coaching staff.
That said, the way they have carried out their work behind the scenes has also been first-class. There have been very few misses in the transfer market with even those questioned initially now proving doubters wrong. Ahem, Kai Havertz, we're talking about you.
There has been some phenomenal work carried out regarding contract renewals too. Gone are the days of the club's best players running their deals down – ala Robin van Persie. The Emirates Stadium is now where these players see their futures. Thank you, Arteta, truly.
Martin Odegaard has already signed new terms this campaign and the latest start to put pen to paper is Ben White.
Why Ben White signed a new contract
This has been quite the week for Arsenal's right-back. On Wednesday morning it was announced by the club that White had signed a new deal to remain at the Emirates. It was superb news, particularly considering his recent form.
Handed new terms on £150k-per-week until 2028, it was a fine reward for a player with two assists and a goal in his last couple of Premier League outings.
A new contract was for more than just a couple of games, however. White has been one of the most consistent figures in the team since signing for £50m from Brighton with Arteta transforming the 26-year-old from a central defender into a flying full-back.
An understated character and a man of few words, his teammates were truly delighted to see him awarded with a new deal. Just check out the video below.
That said, it hasn't all been sunshine and rainbows for him this week after refusing to make himself available for England selection.
Why Ben White doesn't want to play for England
Speaking after receiving a first call-up as a Brighton player for the European Championships back in 2021, the defender could hardly contain his excitement. This was a player living out his childhood dreams. To say he isn't proud to have an England cap would be absurd.
However, since that moment his time with the Three Lions has been a struggle. White didn't make a single appearance at the Euros, nor did he get any minutes during the World Cup in Qatar.
After finding it difficult to settle into life away from home at tournament football, White flew home from the tournament before England's campaign was finished, with 'personal reasons' cited.
The real reason we will perhaps never know, although The Athletic believe that differences between one of Gareth Southgate's key coaching staff, Steve Holland, could be to blame.
It's thought Holland wasn't a great fan of White's attitude, with the coach reportedly calling the defender out for not taking things seriously enough. Southgate denies that staunchly and is still open to a return to the England setup for the Arsenal star. Speaking in his press conference after announcing the latest squad, the national manager said:
"On form, I can't sit here and say [White] doesn't deserve to be in. John McDermott [technical director] had a call from Edu last week to say Ben didn't want to be considered for England squads at this time.
"That's a great shame, he's a player I really like, he's a player we took to the Euros when he was at Brighton, to the World Cup. I spoke to him post-Qatar, because I wanted to pick him. There was clearly reticence from his side, I don't know fully why that is."
Whether White adds to his four caps remains to be seen. We may just have to wait until Southgate departs the role to find out.
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ByJack Salveson HolmesMar 6, 2024 Which Arsenal players will sign a new deal next?
It's reported that Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu is close to agreeing a new deal with the club as Arsenal aim to tie down some of their most consistent assets.
Next on the list should be another rather underrated character in Jorginho. Signed from Chelsea for just £12m, the Italian has been nothing short of exceptional since arriving.
There were complaints when he first moved to north London. Arsenal had been after Moises Caicedo, a player who was eventually sold for even more than Declan Rice (£115m), so to end up with an ageing Chelsea 'reject' as everyone thought was not ideal.
However, like the aforementioned Havertz, he has fought away the doubters in exquisite fashion.
Described as a "monster" by Dr Rajpal Brar, a notable figure in the Arsenal community on social media, Jorginho has been the big game player that Arteta had been missing. He is the definition of plug-and-play. Simply select the former Champions League winner and you'll get a 7 or 8/10 every time.
#1 Kai Havertz
£280k
2028
#2 Gabriel Jesus
£265k
2027
#3 Declan Rice
£240k
2028
#4 Martin Odegaard
£240k
2028
#5 Thomas Partey
£200k
2025
#6 Bukayo Saka
£195k
2027
Handed the Player of the Match award against Newcastle last month, the 32-year-old has been rolling back the years. Truth be told, it takes quite something to stand out above all else when your team are scoring so many goals, but Jorginho has.
He was notably outstanding in that vital 2-1 win over Liverpool, again winning the Man of the Match. On that occasion, no player retained possession better, had more touches or made more passes.
Crucially, it has also given Rice a license to get forward, something he is excelling in. With Jorginho at the base, the club's record buy has scored three goals in his last five league outings.
With Thomas Partey injured for much of the campaign, Arteta has needed someone to step up beside Rice and in the European Championship winner, he has found the ideal man. The trouble is that Jorginho's deal expires in the summer.
Arsenal can trigger a one-year extension and they should do just that, potentially even handing their 2023 signing a bumper pay rise in the process. He certainly deserves it.